Betty Rambur’s book a ‘must read’ for those hoping to drive health policy change
University of Rhode Island College of Nursing Professor Betty Rambur has been honored by the American Journal of Nursing, which awarded the third edition of her book first place in the “AJN 2025 Book of the Year, Professional Issues” category.
The AJN Book of the Year Awards recognize works that make an outstanding contribution to the nursing profession and to the improvement of health care. Rambur’s book, Health Care Finance, Economics and Policy for Nurses: A Foundational Guide, offers insights into how the U.S. health care system developed, how current health care economics and financing work, and how these forces shape care delivery, cost, and quality. By making complex financial and policy concepts accessible, the book equips nurses at all levels to participate more confidently in organizational decision-making and public policy discussions, and highlights concrete ways nurses can leverage their insights to drive policy change and improve patient outcomes.
AJN’s reviewer called the book “a must-read for anyone interested in advocating for health care policy change at the local, state, or federal level,” emphasizing its value as a practical resource for nurse advocates and leaders. “A timely and deeply relevant text that demystifies the financial and policy forces shaping nursing practice—equipping nurses to lead, advocate, and influence,” the review notes.
Rambur’s first place award underscores her book’s impact on how nurses understand and engage with health care finance, economics, and policy, she said.
“Nurses belong at every table where decisions about health care are made,” Rambur said. “My hope is that this book helps nurses feel better prepared to navigate the financial and policy dimensions of our health system, so they can effectively forge an affordable, sustainable future for U.S. health care.”
Ramber, the college’s Routhier Endowed Chair for Practice, has been a leader in health policy and health reform for more than 30 years. Her work focuses on health care payment reform, ethics, and workforce redesign within alternative payment models. She serves as vice chair of the federal Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, which holds a powerful role in advising Congress on Medicare policy. She has served as the only nurse on Vermont’s Green Mountain Care Board, which regulates health care in the state and provides oversight of the transition from fee-for-service to value-based care. Previously, Rambur led North Dakota’s statewide health reform efforts that resulted in omnibus health reform legislation.
Rambur’s teaching, research and policy work has been honored by an array of organizations, including Sigma Theta Tau International, receiving such honors as the Best of Nursing Scholarship, Profession and Society Award; the Sloan Consortium Excellence in Online Teaching and Learning award; and the American Academy for Nurse Practitioners State Award for Nurse Practitioner Advocacy. In 2024, she was named the Lois Capps Health Policy Luminary by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.